Building engagement: the influence of physical structure on social interaction

Green space, common areas, and amenities are expected to encourage social interaction, which in turn will impact engagement and commitment to community. Student housing is designed to engage students in a campus community by providing activities that encourage student satisfaction, comfort, and sociability. This study seeks to understand how the design of student housing impacts the social and community involvement of students. By studying student response to suite-style and corridor-style living environments on the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill campus, conclusions about how different physical spaces lead to different levels of community engagement are explored. The study finds that several factors, including the architecture of a living environment, may influence the community engagement and individual satisfaction.Master of City and Regional Plannin